CAHSEE Against in 1999, the

CAHSEE against in 1999, the state of California began to develop the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) to test graduating seniors in English-Language Arts and math. Students graduating this spring are the first ones who are required to pass the test in order to receive a high school diploma (CDE). This graduation requirement has created a great deal of controversy in the past month in the courts of California. The test is unfair due to the discrepancies between students and school districts.

On Friday, May 12, 2006, Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman suspended the CAHSEE as a requirement for graduating seniors (cbsnews). This controversial decision will potentially affect the 47,000 students who have failed both or one of the sections of the test (Korry). The state is filing an appeal of the decision according to Jack O'Connell, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, citing that this will cause great confusion for the 1100 school districts in the state (cbsnews).

The reality is that the state seems more concerned about the confusion and inconvenience of this court ruling than the allegations of the test's unfairness. One of the reasons the lawsuit was initially filed was on behalf of English language learners. These students are expected to take the test beginning in the 10th grade like everyone else even if they are new arrivals to the California schools (cde).

The best that foreign language speakers can hope for from the state is "six months of instruction in reading, writing, and comprehension in English" (cde) during their first 24 months at a school.

What are the chances of a student learning English well enough in a six-month long crash course to take this test? Considering that the test is based on the content standards of California which are taught k-12, recently acquired non-English speakers will not have any chance to pass because their exposure to English and the content area has been so limited. In six months, only the basics of English can be learned.

The CAHSEE English-Language Arts section tests vocabulary, informational reading and literary reading comprehension, and includes a writing section (cde). Foreign students with limited English skills will not be able to complete these tasks. The math section will be just as challenging because students will struggle to read instructions and questions. Furthermore, since different nations have different concepts about teaching math, students may never have had these content areas.

The state, of course, puts the blame on the students for failing "because they have poor English skills, not because they were denied a good education" (cbsnews). Does six months of language assistance count as a good education? The other part of this equation is the inequity of school districts. Some students both native speakers and non-English speakers attend inferior schools. These schools, generally located in poor or working class neighborhoods, are more likely to suffer from "unqualified teachers and fewer resources" (Korry).

If students have been victims of mediocre and poor schools, passing the test will prove exceptionally difficult. A variety of problems plague these troubled schools. Academics are hindered by problems with discipline and absenteeism. Students cannot learn with disruptions during the school day and when they are not in school. Furthermore, teachers are unable to teach consistent and sequenced lessons when they have to battle with behavior problems and lack of continuity when students are not there. Teachers become frustrated quickly and seek employment at middle and upper class schools.

Consequently, the poorer schools frequently have new and inexperienced teachers and rapid teacher turnover. Poorer schools also lack adequate funding for basic items like textbooks, computers, and classroom furniture. Study after study has shown that students must have an appropriate atmosphere in which to learn. It would seem that additional funding would help the situation. To their credit, the state recognized that last year and allocated an additional $20 million to schools for remedial aid. Unfortunately, Judge Freedman recognized in his ruling that the "funds were insufficient and arbitrarily distributed" (cbsnews).

Throwing money at the problem seems to be the state's solution. The government plans to increase school funding by $30 million for next year (cbsnews). An increase will certainly help struggling districts. However, the districts are not going to be magically fixed overnight. First, the money will have to be distributed and managed in an appropriate way. Secondly, it will take years before a positive change really occurs. Students will have to cycle through years of education and build the foundations for passing the CAHSEE in high school.